LiDAR
A vertical wind LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) is used to measure current wind conditions at the North Sea. This measuring system is placed on offshore platforms and works with a laser-system.
Specialized LiDAR sensors (so-called wind LiDARs) determine wind speed and direction by measuring reflections of naturally occurring wind-borne aerosols. The LiDAR works as follows:
- A light source emits a vertical laser pulse.
- A sensor receives the reflected and scattered signal.
- The time difference and the intensity of the returned signal are measured.
This allows the wind LiDAR to measure the wind up to 300 meters at multiple heights simultaneously. The LiDAR sensor is equipped with a weather hut and a cleaning system to keep the window clean.
Data
The data collected by the LiDAR goes directly to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) (KNMI data portal).
Customers and applications
Customers include wind farm operators, energy traders, Rijkswaterstaat, the KNMI, skippers of Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), major seaports, (commercial) shipping, the Coast Guard, incident organizations and recreationists.
The data is used for climatological research, maritime research and the development, calibration and validation of models.